If you haven’t seen it yet, CBC’s Jian Ghomeshi handled himself brilliantly in the presence of a billigerent, egomaniacal and angry Billy-Bob Thornton yesterday. Ghomeshi was interviewing the “musician” and inadvertently angered Thornton by referring to his acting career, which is obviously how most of us would know him, despite the fact that he apparently thinks of himself as a legendary musical genius.
It’s worth watching the entire thing. Even Thornton’s bandmates look as if they’re siding with their weird drummer – but it’s very hard to tell. I would hope they were embarrassed by his behaviour but there’s no way to know. I would have loved to have heard what happened when they piled into the limo and drove away from the studio.
I’ve interviewed hostile subjects before but never on this scale. Sheila Copps once gave me the cold microphone live in studio on CHML over a perceived slight of some sort that was never explained. Mike Bullard delivered one-word answers during a live interview in an attempt to be funny (not the first of his attempts to be funny that went wrong, I might add!) and wouldn’t abandon the ruse even when I practically begged him during a commercial break. But this – this is where Ghomeshi proves his capabilities and his professionalism. He was perfect, not backing down despite Thornton’s ridiculousness but still trying to get things back on track. Top up your beverage and watch an idiot derail his own train and reveal his distaste for our country in the process.